Use a standing desk by alternating: sit for most of each half hour, stand for part of it and move for a couple of minutes, a pattern often called 20-8-2. Set the desk so your elbows bend at about 90 degrees whether you sit or stand, save both heights as presets, and stand on a cushioned mat in supportive shoes. Build up your standing time over a few weeks.
How long should you stand? The 20-8-2 rule
The 20-8-2 pattern comes from Professor Alan Hedge at Cornell University: in every half hour, sit for about 20 minutes, stand for about 8 and move or stretch for about 2. Cornell's ergonomics group recommends breaking up sitting with standing and moving for 1 to 2 minutes every 20 to 30 minutes, and warns that standing still for long stretches is tiring too (Cornell University Ergonomics Web).
Over a full day, an international expert statement in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests office workers work up to 2 hours of standing and light activity during working hours, and later to 4 hours (Buckley et al., 2015). That is a total spread across the day, not one long stretch.
How to build up:
- Week one: follow 20-8-2, or simply stand for a few minutes every half hour.
- Weeks two to four: stretch the standing part a little at a time while it stays comfortable.
- Every day: set a quiet timer as a reminder to change position. Restless legs or a tired lower back mean it is time to switch.
How often should you stand up?
Change position at least every half hour. Once you are used to standing, you can go further: Professor Jack Callaghan at the University of Waterloo found the best balance between sitting and standing lies between equal time and three times as much standing as sitting, so at least 30 and at most 45 minutes of standing in each hour (University of Waterloo). Start with 20-8-2 and move toward that range over a few weeks.
Regular changes are where the benefit comes from. In the Take-a-Stand Project, office workers given a sit-stand device sat 66 fewer minutes a day and reported 54% less upper back and neck pain; when the device was taken away, most of the gains were gone within 2 weeks (Pronk et al., Preventing Chronic Disease, 2012). The Mayo Clinic adds that standing at work does not replace exercise: about 60 to 75 minutes a day of moderately intense activity is what offsets long hours of sitting (Mayo Clinic).
How to stand at a standing desk
Good posture at a standing desk comes down to a few points:
- Weight on both feet, about hip width apart. Shift your weight from one foot to the other now and then instead of leaning on one hip.
- Knees soft, never locked.
- Elbows at about 90 degrees with your forearms level and wrists straight on the keyboard. Raise or lower the desk until this is true; it is the same rule when you sit.
- Screen at eye level: the top line of the screen at or slightly below eye level, about an arm's length away (OSHA).
- Keyboard flat and mouse close, so you do not reach or bend your wrists up. On a laptop, raise the screen and use a separate keyboard and mouse.
To find your exact sitting and standing heights, use our desk height calculator, or read how high a standing desk should be.
Quick setup checklist
| Step | How |
|---|---|
| Standing height | Elbows at about 90 degrees while typing. |
| Sitting height | Feet flat on the floor, elbows at about 90 degrees. |
| Monitor | Top of the screen at or slightly below eye level. |
| Routine | Start with 20-8-2 and build up over a few weeks. |
Presets, mats and shoes
Presets. Save your sitting and standing heights on the desk's keypad so each switch takes one press. Here is how to set standing desk presets and what else to know about adjustable height desks.
Mat. An anti-fatigue mat cushions hard floors. Canada's occupational health agency notes that mats help with standing on hard surfaces, but that sore feet and legs come from several things together: how long you stand, your shoes and the floor (CCOHS).
Shoes. Wear shoes with arch support and cushioning that hold your heel firmly; avoid shoes without support (CCOHS).
Monitor arm and cables. A monitor arm makes it easy to set the screen height for both positions. Tidy cables with enough slack for the desk to move up and down. See our guide to the best standing desk accessories.
Common mistakes beginners make
- Standing all day from day one. It leads to sore feet and a tired back, and it is a common reason people give up on the desk. Build up slowly.
- Standing still. Standing in one position for hours is tiring in its own way. Switch positions and move.
- Locking the knees or leaning on one hip. Keep the knees soft and the weight even.
- Using one height for everything. Sitting and standing each need their own height; save both as presets.
- Hard floor, flat shoes. Use a mat and supportive shoes.
For more on routines, read standing desk best practices. To see what switching positions does for your health, read our guide to standing desk benefits.